GALEMYS 23 



a rudimentary dorsal and ventral keel. Mamniiv :pl — l,al — 1, 

 i2-2 = 8. 



Colour. — Back and sides dark brown varying somewhat in 

 exact shade, but never a distinct slaty as in Talpa, the longer 

 hairs lighter than the under fur and sometimes producing a 

 slight eliect of coarse " lining," particularly on posterior third 

 of back and along sides. Under parts buffy in rather strong 

 contrast with back, but without true line of demarcation. 

 Hairs of tail and feet buffy. Claws whitish. 



Skull. — In general the skull resembles that of Talpa europsea, 

 but the brain-case is shorter and squarel)' truncate jwsteriorly, 

 the interorbital region is shorter and narrowed instead of 

 widened at middle, and the rostrum is longer. Surface of skull 

 smooth except for the same ridges as in Talpa, those at sides of 

 brain-case not unusually developed. Brain-case decidedly moi-e 

 than half as deep as wide, its outline when viewed from behind 

 vaguely pentagonal, its posterior margin nearly straight, though 

 with slight median swelling ; condyles not projecting posteriori}^, 

 completely hidden when viewed from above. Interparietal 

 projecting further forward than in Talpa, its antero-posterior 

 diameter nearly equal to its width. Base of brain-case with 

 deep but broad median furrow, the surface of the bones more 

 angular and less inflated than in Talpja ; no pits in basioccipital 

 in front of foramen magnum. Bullse low and flattened, less 

 perfectly formed than in Talpa, the tympanic bone annular and 

 retaining its distinctness, though joined with surrounding parts ; 

 meatus large, occupying about one-half surface of bulla. 

 Mesopterygoid space short, its length scarcely equal to width of 

 palate between posterior molars, its width about one-third length, 

 its anterior border double rounded, encroached on by slight 

 median spine. Outer pterygoid plate i-educed to a small but 

 evident ridge. Interorbital region hour-glass shaped, widening 

 more rapidly posteriorly than anteriorly, its narrowest region 

 slightly behind middle. Zygoma straight, flattened posteriorly, 

 compressed anteriorly, its length (measured from posterior border 

 of orbit to posterior border of anteorbital foramen) equal to 

 distance from posterior border of anteorbital foramen to front of 

 canine. Rostrum about as wide as in Talpa, but relatively 

 longer, the distance from posterior border of anteorbital foramen 

 to gnathion about equal to greatest breadth of brain-case instead 

 of much less, its dorsal surface on level with that of interorbital 

 region, its outer margins nearly parallel to the squarely truncate 

 anterior extremity. Xares scarcely emarginate posteriorly. 

 Anterior portion of border of alveolus of large incisor distinctly 

 thickened, the thickened region terminating laterally in a small 

 but evident wart-like nodule. Lachrymal foramen over middle 

 of anteorbital foramen and midille of m^. Posterior border of 

 anteorbital foramen o^er parastyle of tir. Palate essentially as 

 in Talpa, but vacuities smaller and incisive foramina large, their 



